E. Rutherford - First Assistant Attorney General Peter C. Harvey and Joseph Santiago, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, today announced that State Police have stepped-up truck enforcement patrols and inspections as part of a state-wide effort geared to improve motorist safety on New Jersey highways.

According to First Assistant Attorney General Harvey, the State Police inspection program is the centerpiece of an enforcement and education effort aimed at identifying, inspecting and removing unsafe tractor-trailer rigs traversing New Jersey's interstate highways and secondary roadways.

Joining the First Assistant Attorney General in announcing the truck enforcement program were Major Lori Hennon-Bell of the State Police Division Staff Bureau, Gail Toth of the New Jersey Motor Truck Association and specially trained troopers from the State Police Traffic Section.

The truck inspection and highway safety announcement is part of a larger enforcement and educational program by the New Jersey Motor Truck Association and the State Police as working partners to achieve the mutual goal of highway safety and safe travel for all motorists.

Superintendent Santiago noted that the comprehensive truck inspection program is part of the National Network Compliance Project - a truck enforcement initiative which is in addition to the daily truck inspection patrols routinely conducted by State Police truck enforcement units. State troopers assigned to the Commercial Carrier-Safety Inspection Unit, the Hazardous Materials Transportation Unit and the Diesel Emissions Unit, have significantly increased the number of safety inspections taking place on New Jersey's interstate highway system and primary and secondary state highways. Additionally, State Police have stepped-up enforcement of the regulation prohibiting trucks over 102 inches from traveling on prohibited non-interstate highways.

Comprehensive State Police enforcement efforts for 2002 (Jan. 1- May 31) have resulted in state troopers stopping and inspecting 20,935 heavy-duty tractor-trailer trucks; the issuance of 24,436 summonses for motor vehicle and safety violations; 4,263 commercial vehicles taken off the road for 7,889 out-of-service safety violations; 620 drivers removed from the road for motor vehicle and/or safety-related violations and 74 summonses for oversize vehicles traveling on prohibited roadways. Total truck safety inspections is projected to exceed 50,000 vehicles by the end of 2002 - a statistic that will put the New Jersey State Police truck inspection and safety program first in the nation.

Overall truck enforcement efforts by the State Police Traffic Bureau and the specialized Commercial Carrier-Safety Inspection Unit, Diesel Emissions Unit, Hazardous Materials Transport Enforcement Unit and Tactical Patrol Units patrolling the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway have resulted in a steady increase of truck inspections statewide:

2001

2000

Total Safety Inspections:

46,361

42,809

Truck Summonses:

41,692

28,077

Vehicles Out-of-Service:

9,420

7,321

Out-of-Service Violations:

16,103

12,540

The safety inspections are conducted at various levels: A Level I inspection is a thorough and complete inspection of driver and vehicle credentials and hours of service combined with a complete vehicle check of major operating systems such as brakes, steering and all visible mechanical components. A Level II inspection is a check of driver credentials and a visible inspection of the vehicle. A Level III inspection is a check of driver credentials.

According to Harvey and Santiago, the intensified truck inspection and safety enforcement program is part of continuing State Police and New Jersey Motor Truck Association efforts to improve highway safety and enforce the ban on oversize tractor-trailer trucks from utilizing secondary roadways.

Toth of the New Jersey Motor Truck Association noted that the Association membership supports law enforcement efforts to improve highway safety for all users.

"Safe highways are a major concern for the trucking industry, since the highways are our workplace. We encourage law enforcement to enforce motor vehicle regulations on all highway users. Our association is also committed to educating the public on how to share the road with a truck. Hopefully through the combination of law enforcement and education we can accomplish our goal of safer highways for all users," she said.

The State Police Traffic Section will continue
to assign special truck enforcement units to conduct enforcement
activities throughout north, south and central Jersey. The State
Police Superintendent has instructed all personnel involved in the
enforcement effort that they will enforce a 100 percent compliance
policy.